(a) Financial statements required.

(1) Financial statements described in §§210.3-01 and 210.3-02, or §210.3-18, as applicable, including the schedules specified in §§210.12-01 through 210.12-29 (Article 12), prepared and audited in accordance with Regulation S-X (including the independence standards in §210.2-01 or, alternatively if the fund is not a registrant, the applicable independence standards) for the periods specified in paragraph (b) of this section and the supplemental information specified in paragraph (d) of this section must be filed if any of the following conditions exist:

(i) During the most recent fiscal year or subsequent interim period for which a balance sheet is required by §210.3-01 or §210.3-18, a fund acquisition has occurred; or

(ii) After the date of the most recent balance sheet filed pursuant to §210.3-01 or §210.3-18 or, if no relevant balance sheet has been filed in connection with a post-effective amendment for a new series submitted pursuant to §230.485(a)(2) of this chapter (Rule 485(a)(2) under the Securities Act), the filing of such amendment, consummation of a fund acquisition has occurred or is probable.

(2) For purposes of this section:

(i) The term fund includes any investment company as defined in section 3(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, including a business development company, or any company that would be an investment company but for the exclusions provided by sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of that Act, or any private account managed by an investment adviser.

(ii) The determination of whether a fund has been acquired or will be acquired should be evaluated in light of the facts and circumstances involved. Among the facts and circumstances which should be considered in evaluating whether a fund acquisition has occurred or will occur are whether it will result in the acquisition by the registrant of all or substantially all of the portfolio investments held by another fund.

(3) Acquisitions of a group of related funds that are probable or that have occurred subsequent to the latest fiscal year-end for which audited financial statements of the registrant have been filed will be treated under this section as if they are a single acquisition. For purposes of this section, funds will be deemed to be related if:

(i) They are under common control or management;

(ii) The acquisition of one fund is conditional on the acquisition of each other fund; or

(iii) Each acquisition is conditioned on a single common event.

(4) This section does not apply to a fund which is totally held by the registrant prior to consummation of the transaction.

(b) Periods to be presented.

(1) If securities are being registered to be offered to the security holders of the fund to be acquired, the financial statements specified in §§210.3-01 and 210.3-02 or §210.3-18 for the fund to be acquired and the supplemental information specified in paragraph (d) of this section must be filed, except as provided otherwise for filings on Form N-14 (§239.23 of this chapter). The financial statements covering the fiscal year must be audited except as provided in Item 14 of Schedule 14A (§240.14a-101 of this chapter) with respect to certain proxy statements or in registration statements filed on Form N-14 (§239.23 of this chapter).

(2) In all cases not specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, financial statements of the fund acquired or to be acquired for the periods specified in this paragraph (b)(2) or such shorter period as the fund has been in existence and the supplemental information specified in paragraph (d) of this section must be filed. Whether such financial statements and supplemental information are to be filed must be determined using the conditions specified in the definition of significant subsidiary in §210.1-02(w)(2)(i) and (w)(2)(ii)(B) as follows:

(i) If none of the conditions set forth in §210.1-02(w)(2)(i) and (w)(2)(ii)(B), substituting 20 percent for 10 percent each place it appears therein, are satisfied, the financial statements and supplemental financial information in paragraph (d) of this section are not required.

(ii) If any of the conditions set forth in §210.1-02(w)(2)(i) and (w)(2)(ii)(B), substituting 20 percent for 10 percent each place it appears therein, are satisfied, the financial statements of the acquired fund must be filed. If the acquired fund is subject to §210.3-18, then the financial statements for the periods described therein must be filed. For all other acquired funds, the financial statements for the most recent fiscal year and the most recent interim period must be filed. The registrant must also provide the supplemental financial information in paragraph (d) of this section.

(iii) If the aggregate impact of funds acquired or to be acquired since the date of the most recent audited balance sheet filed for the registrant, for which financial statements are not required by paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section, satisfies any of the conditions set forth in §210.1-02(w)(2)(i) and (w)(2)(ii)(B), substituting 50 percent for 10 percent each place it appears therein, the registrant must provide financial statements for any fund acquired or to be acquired for which financial statements are not yet required by paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section. If any of the acquired funds are subject to §210.3-18, then the financial statements for the periods described therein must be filed. For any other acquired funds, the financial statements for the most recent fiscal year and the most recent interim period must be filed. The registrant must also provide the supplemental financial information in paragraph (d) of this section for such funds.

(3) The determination must be made by comparing the most recent annual financial statement of each such fund, or for acquisitions each group of related funds on a combined basis, to the registrant's most recent annual financial statements filed at or prior to the date of acquisition. However, the determination may be made by using pro forma amounts as calculated by the registrant for the periods specified in §210.1-02(w)(2) that only give effect to an acquisition consummated after the latest fiscal year-end for which the registrant's financial statements are required to be filed when the registrant has filed audited financial statements of such acquired fund and provided the supplemental financial information for the periods required by this section.

(4) Separate financial statements of the acquired fund and the supplemental information specified in paragraph (d) of this section need only to be filed once and not included in any subsequent filing or shareholder report.

(c) Acquisitions involving private funds or private accounts. If the fund acquired or to be acquired would be an investment company under the Investment Company Act but for the exclusion provided from that definition by either sections 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of that Act, then the required financial statements may comply with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and only Article 12. In situations of any private account managed by an investment adviser provide the schedules specified in Article 12 for the assets acquired or to be acquired.

(d) Supplemental financial information.

(1) Supplemental financial information must consist of:

(i) A table showing the current fees for the registrant and the acquired fund and pro forma fees, if different, for the registrant after giving effect to the acquisition using the format prescribed in the appropriate registration statement under the Investment Company Act;

(ii) If the transaction will result in a material change in the acquired fund's investment portfolio due to investment restrictions, a schedule of investments of the acquired fund modified to reflect such change and accompanied by narrative disclosure describing the change; and

(iii) Narrative disclosure about material differences in accounting policies of the acquired fund when compared to the registrant.

(2) With respect to any fund acquisition, registered investment companies and business development companies must provide the supplemental financial information required in this section in lieu of any pro forma financial information required by §§210.11-01 through 210.11-03.

[85 FR 54064, Aug. 31, 2020]